Exposed vs. Concealed Mahjong Hands

An exposed hand allows players to call discarded tiles and display completed groupings on top of the rack. The grouping must match part of the selected hand on the card.

A concealed hand must remain hidden throughout the game. It is marked with a “C” on the National Mah Jongg League card. Players working on a concealed hand cannot call a discard to make an exposure. However, the final discarded tile may be called when it completes Mahjong.

Some hands marked with an “X” may be played exposed, but they do not have to be. Players can keep an exposed hand concealed until calling a tile becomes helpful.